Roof bar structure



June 21, 1955 s. H. HART v ROOF BAR STRUCTURE Filed March 15, 1952 1 INVENTOR. Siephen Ejzari' I IL\\\\\\\ \\\\\\I\\\\\\\ 2,711,138 Patented June 21, 1955 ROOF BAR STRUCTURE StephenH. Hart, Irvingtomon-Hudson," N. Y., assignor to Lord & Burnham, Division ofBur'nham Corporation, Irvington-on-Huds'on, N.Y., a fc'orporation oi NewYork H1 H1 Application ar h 15, 1952, Serial No. 2 7 5,746 t Claims. (CI. 108-4- 16)- This invention relates-to a greenhouse structure. and

more particularly to the mounting of the roof bars support the glass. In the past greenhouses have normally been made of wood, preferably of cypress. These houses required constant maintenance in the renewal J of putty and paint. Some attempts have been made to use metal and principally aluminum to cut down on the maintenance cost and to form a more permanent struc-: ture. The use of such materials, however, creates prob lems due to an expnasion and contraction whicli'has a tendency to break glass and due to the tendency ofmetal to carry condensation. In many types of greenhouse operation where the individual plants are very valuable a single drop of water can ruin a plant, This water may be due to leakage or due merely to condensation "forming on the metal due to the differences in temperatures inside and outside of the housej Condensation will form on metal bars and if the roof bars are in contact with the purlins there is a tendency for the. condensate to transfer to the purlins and then drip on the plants. It is important, therefore, to support the-roof bars out of contact with the purlins to prevent this transfer of the condensate. p

An object of this invention is to provide a structure which will reduce maintenance to a minimum eliminating the need for painting and putty renewal.= "f; l

A further object of the invention is: to .provide a structure which will be relatively simple and which canfbe readily handled in assembling houses in the field.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure in which the danger of leakage will be minimized and in which condensation may be controlled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention become apparent from the accompanying drawing and description in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a greenhouse roof Fig. 2 is an enlarged view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a section of the roof bar.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a clamping member.

Fig. 5 is a face view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a further modification.

Briefly, my improved roof bar is so designed that any condensation forming on the bar or its mounting will be drained off. It is further designed so as to allow for contraction and expansion and to transfer the strength of the glass to the bar itself.

In accomplishing these objects I mount the roof bar so that it does not come into direct contactwith the purlin which support it. In the past, condensation has shown a tendency to run off at the purlins and drip therefrom.

Referring to Fig. 3, my preferred form of roof bar 10 can be extruded aluminum. It is provided with a central web 11, a glass supporting ledge 12 and a gutter member 14. The glass supporting ledge 12 has a wall 15 spaeed from the web member and terminating with the web member in a ridge 16. The ridge 16 may be grooved as at 17 to receive screws to hold the bar cap in place.

The wall 15 with ledge 12 forms a shoulder 18. The

gutter-14 is formed with a rolled or beaded edge 19.;

. In order tomount the roof bar 10 on the, purlins 20 .I provide clamping members 21. Each of these comprises a piece of material. which may be extruded in length' and then cut-to form individual clamping members. Itconsists of an upright member 22 having a slightly curved, back section 24 and a notched beaded upper end 23' forming a bearing surface. The upright member 22 tenni v nates at the lower end in a curved arm 25, a leg 26 and a. foot 27 adapted to engage the purlin. The leg 26 and the arm form a 'i'e-entrant angle which atits inner end defines'a notch 28. Thefoot 27 and the upright 22 areisco'redbr threaded at 29 and 30 to. determine the proper place for bolts.

In assembling, the notch 23 engages the shoulder 18 of the roof bar while the notch 28 engages the rolled or be'aded'edge 19 of the gutter 14. The clamps are then bolted to the purlins 20 bymeans ofbolts 31 and, though a while not necessary, an additional bolt 31 may be passed through the two clamps and the web to secure the clamps firmly in place. TWhen the glass 32 is laid in, it rests 0nv V and is covered byfthe-putty 33. This is covered by the bar cap '34 which is held in place by a screw 35 in the;

gro'ove l7i D ue to the curved back 24 of the clamp its upper and. lower ends areslightly out ofcontact with the web which 7 provides for contraction or expansion in the bar itself or in the wall 15 which are relatively flexible for expansion and jcontractjionw 1 "I 5 I It will be noted that'the arm 25 of the clamp slopes inwar'dly andthat all, other surfaces are 'so designed that any condensation forming in the bar willbe collected in the gutter 14. Since the bar itself is separated from the purlin 20 it cannottransmitany secondary condensation to' the purlin.

ln the form shown in ig. 6 theridge 40 is provided with a longitudinalfgroo've 14. While'this form eliminates thelnecessityof drilling and provides for theme of self-.

tapping screwsjritis not quite as flexible as the preferred form'." Fig. *Tshows'a slight modification in which the web 42 is provided with a rib 43 adapted *to engage the indentation 44 in the clamp 45. This eliminates the necessity for the bolt 31 since the clamp is under tension and will remain in place.

In practice, the leg 27 of the clamp is made at slightly less than right angles to the upper member 22, so that web terminating in its lower end ina drip gutter having a slightly enlarged upwardly extending edge, a wall depending from the upper portion of said web and spaced therefrom, said wall being relatively flexible to allow for expansion and contraction and having a glass sup- I porting ledge extending therefrom to form a shoulder 7 between the wall and said ledge, a clamp member for positioning said roof bar in spaced relationship to the purlins, said clamp member having a foot engaging the purlins, an inwardly extending arm connected to said foot member by means of a vertical leg member, said leg and arm forming a notch' at the inner end of said re-entrant angle engaging the edge of said drip gutter, and an upright t 3 7 section having a curved back engaging said web and terminatlng in a curved bearing surface engaging the shoulder defined by said wall, a glass supported on said ledge within a glazing agent and a bar cap covering said glazing agent and secured" to'the top of said web.

2. In a greenhouse structure wherein'the roof bars are supported by purlins, a roof bar comprising a vertical web terminating in its lower end in a drip gutter having a slightly enlarged upwardly extending edge, a wall depending from the upper portion of said web and spaced therefrom, said wall being relatively flexible to allow for expansion and contraction and having aglass supporting ledge extending therefrom to form a shoulder between the wall and said ledge, a clamp member for positioning said roof bar in spaced relationship to the purlingsaid' clamp member having a foot engaging the purlins, an inwardly extending arm connected to said foot member by means of a vertical leg member at a re-entrant angle thereto, said leg and arm forming a notch at the inner end of said re-entrant angle engaging the edge of said drip gutter, and an upright portion engaging said web and terminating in a curved bearing surface engaging the shoulder defined by said wall. a

3. In a greenhouse structure wherein the roof bars are supported by purlins, a roof bar comprising a vertical web terminating in its lower end in a drip gutterhaving a slightly enlarged upwardly extending edge, a wall'depend- 7 ing from the upper portion of said web and spaced therefrom, said wall being relatively flexible to allow for expansion and contraction and having a'glass supporting ledge extending therefrom to form a shoulder between the 7 wall and said ledge, a clamp member-for positioning said roof bar in spaced relationship to the p'urlins,said clamp member having a foot engaging the purlins, an inwardly extending arm connected to said foot member by means of a vertical leg member at a re-entrant angle 'thereto, i said leg and arm forming a notch at the inner end ofsaid' re-entrant angle engaging the edge of said drip gutter, and an upright member having a'curved back engaging said web and terminating in a' curvedbearing surface e11 gaging the shoulder defined by said wall and a bar cap covering said glazing agent and secured tolthe top of said web. v V V V 4. In a greenhouse structure wherein the roof bars'are supported by purlins, a roof bar comprising a vertical web terminating in its lower end in a drip gutter having a slightly enlarged upwardly extending edge, a wall de-.

pending from the upper portion of said web and spaced therefrom, said-wall being relatively flexible to allow for expansion and contraction and having a glass supporting ledge extending therefrom and defining a shoulder between the ledge and said wall and a clamp member for positioning said roof bar in spaced relationship to the purlins, said clmp member having a foot engaging the purlins, an inwardly extending arm connected to said foot member by means of a vertical leg member at a reentrant angle thereto, said leg and arm forming a notch at the inner' end of said re-entrant angle engaging the edge of said drip gutter, and antupright member having a curved back engaging said web and terminating in a curvedbearingsurface-engaging theshoulder defined by said wall, a glass supported on said ledge within a glazing agent and secured to the top of said web.

5. In a greenhouse structure wherein the roof bars are 7 supported by purlins, a roof bar comprising a vertical webfterminating in its lower end'in a drip gutter having a slightly'enlarged upwardly extending edge, a wall depending from the upper portion of said web and spaced therefrom and defining a shoulder at its lower end terminating in a glass supporting ledge, a clamp member for V positioning said roof bar in spacedrelationship to the purlins, saidclamp member havinga foot engaging the purlins, an inwardly extendingarm connected to said foofm'er'nber by means'ofa vertical leg member, said leg and arm forming a notch at the inner end of said re entrant angle engaging the edge of said drip gutter, and an upright member havinga curved back engaging said weband terminating in a curved bearing surface engaging the'shoulder defined by said 'wa1l,'a glassj'su'pported on said ledge within a glazing agent and'abarcap covering said'glazing agent and secured to the top of said web e "References Cited in the file of this patent -UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,964 1,075,388 2 Thompson Oct.14, 1913 1,921,303 Raschka Aug 8, 1933 1,931,750 'Blaski ,..f Oct. 24, 1933 2,075,642 Eiche Mar. 30, 1937 2,178,507 'Williams 'Oct.-31, 1939 2,604,061 .Estey' July 22,

'Servatius Mar. 17, 1903 

